Dragging Ass

It was bound to happen...

Saturday evening I was delivering the last of my cars in Chattanooga. Everything just seemed to fall into place for me that day, and I do mean everything. I left the dealership and headed south on I-75. After a few miles, a car flashed his lights at me, but then quickly changed lanes behind me and exited the freeway. Not thinking much about it because a lot of motorists flash their lights for different reasons, I continued onward. Being empty, I was able to climb the hills pretty quickly and was passing the slower heavy trucks with ease. About 5 miles later, another car eases up my left side flashing his high beams. He catches up to me and is blowing the horn too. He then merges into the lane in front of me and engages the four way flashers as he begins to slow. Of course, by now, I realize something is amiss. He slows me to about 40mph and we ease off onto the shoulder. There was a guard rail immediately to my right and with very little room for comfort, I was hoping he would pull forward to the end of the guardrail. He didn't. He jumps out of his car and runs back to my truck. He is an older Korean man who does not speak a word of English, but his gestures were frantic. He is standing in the right lane ( due to the guard rail, I am sitting on the white line) trying to communicate with me when I noticed the truck blazing a trail directly at him. I throw open the door and grab him by the shirt and pull him to the truck just as the truck roars by within inches of us...

This absolutely pissed me off beyond all means of reason. There were no other vehicles to the left of this truck. I had my four ways on, so I was not invisible. That idiot should have at least made an attempt to give my truck some room. There was no reason for him to be that close. There was no other vehicles anywhere near him at all. He could have easily moved left!!! And to add fuel to the fire, the CB comes to life with "fuck, there are people standing in the road" I am sure the flashing car-hauler on the shoulder gave no indication that there might be human life form close by. I would never have taken that chance, standing in the road like that, but the man was doing a good deed and getting squished was probably not even on his mind. The look on his face when I grabbed him...

Oh sure, it was nice for someone to finally speak up and alert the crowd, but where was all the chatter for the last 15 miles when I was dragging my ramp down the highway throwing sparks, I am sure.

Why did it take 2 motorists in cars to alert me to the fact that I was dragging a ramp. I passed over a dozen trucks and not a single word. It was not until after the fact, that someone mentioned the car-hauler who was throwing sparks. By this time, I had been parked for a minute or two, so obviously that comment came from someone I had previously passed.

I am very grateful that this gentlemen took it upon himself to get my attention. He had no idea who he was getting involved with. But it almost cost him his life. I am not sure how I would have reacted, had he been killed and thankfully I don't have to deal with that nightmare. But, I am just about fed up with the new school of truckers. In my opinion, the industry is full of £&@¥^#€ morons!!!! Don't get me wrong, there are some great people in trucks, but they are fewer and further between.